Quite confused by all of this bike stuff

man_on_a_mission

Hi,

A friend of mine has said that the guys on here may be able to help. I'm a complete novice to the extent that the last bike I bought was a Raleigh Activator when I was about 10. I'm now 25!

I've spent the last few years running a software business. Over the last year things haven't worked out too well for me so feel I need to do something to try and change my luck. I've found myself to be that unfit I struggle to run for a train! Not good at all!

My current work contract may be ending as of 31st Oct. If so, I'll be taking 12 months out to raise and get fit enough to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity and I think that cycling a crazy number of miles is possibly a great way to do this. The longest trip will be around 4000 miles! I'll be training daily for around 12 months.

The first problem I have is i've not cycled for years, never cycled on roads and am completely baffled as to which bike to buy. As i'm a complete novice my budget isn't massive as it could be a complete waste of money. I'll upgrade as and when i need to but in the beginning I think a budget of around £200. Would that get me a bike that'll get me started? Do I get a road bike or a hybrid? I'll be cycling on road most of the time so road would make sense.

Does anyone have any advice for cycling on roads - other than "Stay out of the way of cars, buses and lorry's ? I'm going to be cycling in all weather, apart from snow. roads will be slippery when wet, are there special tyres you can get that prevent slippage?

Does anyone know of any bargain bikes for sale at the moment?

This is going to be a mammoth task but i'm dedicated to the cause. I have no idea if this is possible but i'm going to give it my all!

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks

mercurykev

£200 won't get you much brand new, actually it won't get you anything that you'd be able to ride thousands of miles. Your best bet would be to look for a second-hand bike on somewhere like Gumtree. I'd personally go for a road bike.

With regard to tyres, you'll find that most tyres are able to cope with the wet, what you want is puncture protection.

danowat

£200?, nah, maybe pick something up half decent secondhand, but I'd say new, you want to look around £500.

Secondhand would be the way to go, although not knowing what you are looking for/at could be a stumbling block.

rake

you need £500 minimum if the bike is going to be put to hard use. then maybe even secondhand. you need to make up your mind as buying another bike down the line is going to add more expense. mid range stuff is what you want if its going to last and dont obsess with too lightweight, as durability usually becomes a problem. drop bar definately for that kind of mileage.

sundog

Budget £200 for winter clothing. Training everyday when its raining hard or sub zero temperatures is easier when you have the correct clothing.

man_on_a_mission

Ok so, thanks for the advice.

If i increase to £500 i'll get something decent? The money really isn't too much of an issue, i just don't want to end up with junk.

I got told to get last seasons bike? Is that a good idea?

I've been reading up on a few things but there's far too much choice!

If anyone else has any input it'd be great to hear from you!

What is it I should look for in a bike? Anything in particular? I got told a good aluminium frame and disc brakes. With mercurykev's input i knowi need good qual tyres that have puncture protection.

Keep the advice coming!

rake

what he said. clothing will swallow your budget without any shoes.

danowat

You don't need disc brakes.

You first need to decide if you want drop or flat handlebars really.

If money isn't an issue, and you want drops, a Specialized Sectuer makes a good long distance option

rake

aluminium bike. no disk brakes. people will be reluctant to advise specifics because as you say there is endless choice and people tend to like what they have bought. tyres wouldnt be far out with michelin krylion or continental gp 4000 or vitorias. last years bike is sound advice, maybe save some with 9 speed rater than 10, you wont miss a great deal with 1 gear. solid decent wheels are a high priority over most else because they take a lot of power/ road bumps. a lot of our roads are in a shocking state as well when you get out. choose quiet country roads if you can.

neeb

Sounds like you want to get a first bike just to get started, and then maybe a better one later once you know more about what you want. This is actually a very good idea if you are planning to do as much cycling as you say. Once you have used a bike regularly for a few months you will have a much better idea of what you want, so that when you spend more money you will get something that fits well and suits your purposes.

If you are planning to cycle mostly on roads, you probably want a standard road bike with drop handlebars. You might not take to it at first, but once you are experienced and know how to position yourself on the bike it will be far superior to anything else.

Spend £500 now on a decent aluminium framed road bike from a proper cycle shop, and most importantly, get lots of advice on fit. You will almost certainly spend the first few months with the saddle too high, too low, too far back, the reach to the bars too long or too short... You could spend £100 now on a professional bike fit, but it might actually be better to wait a month or three before doing this to get the best value out of it. In the mean time, try to find a shop where the staff are genuinely experienced and can set up the bike well to suit you. Be prepared to spend a lot more money on a better bike in 6 months to a year's time. Anything from £1000 to £3000.

Practice riding on some paved cycle paths before going onto the road. It's difficult to explain how to cycle on the road, you just need to learn... The key is to be assertive and predictable, without obstructing other traffic when you don't need to but taking your place in the traffic when you do. Look ahead so that you have plenty time to move out if you need to. Always expect cars to do the most stupid thing possible so that if they do, you are prepared for it.

Good luck!

carl_p

I think you need to start with your planned 4000 mile trek and work backwards. Will this mean a few laps of Britain, or across a desert? Will you need to carry camping equipment? If this is the case then touring or audax bikes might be better as you'll need racks for luggage. Will you be doing your training on the same bike as your charity rides? You'll need something a bit robust and of decent quality otherwise it will be knackered before you do your first ride.

Gaining a bit of mechanical knowledge won't go amiss either just in case.

cougie

Yeah - you're doing it all arse about face.

As Carl says - what is this 4000 mile trek ? How are you going to raise 100s of 1000's of pounds ?

if you havent cycled for years, then you wont be setting any world records or anything so wheres your unique selling point to your sponsors ?

I'd not go for a bike say, less than 600 or so - and then you'll probably end up paying another 500 for shoes, helmet, gloves, shades, shorts, tights, socks, tops, armwarmers etc etc etc.

unixnerd

For winter use you'll want a bike that can fit proper mudguards, not all road bikes can.

If you're carrying anything much you'll find a saddlebag may not be big enough. You'll want a bike you can fit a rack and panniers too, few road bikes have rack mounts these days. For that sort of thing you want a tourer such as a Dawes Galaxy or similar. These are designed for long days in the saddle rather than speed (although I've had my tourer abouve 40mph a few times). They're slightly slower than a road bike (I find mine about 2mph slower than my road bike). The Edinburgh Bicycle Shop's own brand Country Traveller is great value, I've done 1000s of miles on mine. I think they're about 499 these days.

Start with normal pedals. After maybe 6-9 months you can try clip in pedals and shoes such as Shimano SPDs. These will greatly improve your riding but you need to be an experienced cyclist for safety reasons. In the wet you'll want overshoes to keep your shoes and ankles dry.

If you buy at a proper bike shop have them set the saddle position and handlebar height for you. Nothing worse than the wrong riding position.

Always wear high visibility clothing and eye protection (wasp or stone in the eye at 20mph is no fun).

fastbatard

Can't go wrong with this for a starter bike at £270
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-1-54-57-69567468/

or this if you don 't like the idea of drop bars
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/fitness-1-45-48-69567261/

Don't think either would be suitable for a 4000 mile trek but good to start on and you've not lost much if you decide it's not for you.